Card index and file



Jan. 14, 1930. M. MCDONALD 1,743,550

CARD INDEX AND FILE Filed Aug. 51, 1927 Patented Jan. 14, 1930 PATNT FFECE MALCOLM MCDONALD, OF ORENCO, OREGON CARD INDEX AND FELE Application. filed August 31, 1927.

This application relates to my application in the United States Patent Oliice, filed April 15, 1926, Patent No. 1,649,24 l, issued November 15, 1927, upon a card index and file, and my present application relates to two applications for patent, filed concurrently herewith, one upon a card index and file, and the other upon a card index tray, Serial Numbers 216,616 and 216,614.

My invention relates to a card index and file and a holder for the card of simple and efficient construction and one wherein the card may easily be removed from the holder and another replaced.

One of the primary objects of my present invention consists in providing means whereby the card holders are maintained in spaced relationship within the guideway and whereby the position of the same may be easily and quickly changed within the guideway and whereby the units for holding the cards are all of similar and like construction.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompanying and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top fragmentary plan view of the tray for supporting the cards and is made to illustrate the guideway for the card holders and the yoke as well.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, of the card holder, taken on line 14 of Fig. r 2, looking in the direction indicated.

Serial No. 216,615.

Fig. 5 is a plan view partly broken away of the card holder and yoke.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the tray on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

- 1 is the card tray preferably made of rigid metallic material having a sloping pad 2 and a sloping pad 3 disposed in either end of the tray. A guideway 1 is formed within the bottom of the tray having an enlarged opening 5 disposed in the forward end of the same. The walls of the guideway are made as illustrated in Fig. 2 which shows a bottom member having upwardly curved side walls 7 and 8 at either side and outwardly disposedflanges 9 and 10 for engaging with the under side of the bottom of the case of the tray 1. The enlarged opening in the forward end of this guideway is made to permit of the entrance of the card-holding yoke 6 therein. The guideway element is secured to the base of the tray by any suitable means as by spot welding. Each. yoke 6 has two upturned bosses 11 and 12 having a central horizontal opening or eye therethrough to permit of the passage of a hinge pin 13 tl'ierethrough. A card holder 1% is formed about the pin 13 and is in hinged relationship therewith. Proj ecting ends 15 and 16 on the card holder increase the length of the holder let and by consequence the area of card-engaging surface. A guide notch 17 is disposed centrally of the card holder and an indicator mark 18 placed centrally upon the card 19 will permit of the central positioning of the cards to give uniform alignment within the tray. The card holder 14 is preferably made of rigid ,material, as metal, and when properly formed, the side walls 20 and 21 thereof are in spaced relationship to permit of the placing of the edge of card 19 therebetween, and i should be so spaced that the card 19 is securely gripped therebetween. Free hinge action and movement should be provided between i the pin 13 and the bosses 11 and 12 to permit of a free swinging of the card in its holder. The pad 2 disposed in the rear end of the tray 1 should be of sufficient height and slope to oments of operation and one that will not easily get out of order, even with the rough treatment that such devices are exposed to. I have illustrated in Fig. 1 a card tray in which two lines of cardstmay be placed but I have illustrated herein three guideways so that if long cards are desired the central guideway may be used, but if it should be desired to use cards of half the length the outside guideways only may be used therefor. When the yokes are made as illustrated in Fig. 3, the cards are maintained in uniform position and alignment and in spaced relationship so that a uniform height of card is exposed upon the top edge, and the free turning of the card holder about the journal sup port makes for ease of inspection and rotating of thecards. The pad 3 disposed upon the forward end of the tray provides a support for the cards when turned back and maintains i them in approximately the same height of alignment as that provided for whatever remaining cards are not so turned and thus permits of the insertion of the tray back into the case with the cards in that'position.

lVhile the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow: WVhat I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a card tray having a multiple of guideways disposed longitudinally of the bottom surface of the same, an elevated inclined pad disposed at each end thereof, there v being an enlarged opening disposed at one end ofeach guideway, yokesslidable within the guideways, bosses formed at either end of the yokes each boss provided with a horizontal bearing, card holders each formed about a journal pin providing oppositely disposed card-engaging members each card holder hav- 7 inga notched edge, the journal pin of each card holder beingjournaled within the bearing of a yoke. v w 2.'In a device of the class described, the combination of trend tray having one or more. guidewaysdisposed longitudinally of the bottom thereof, elevated pads inclined to the horizontal disposed at each end of the tray, yokes slidable within the guideways, bosses carried by either end of the yoke elements, each boss having a journal disposed indentation.

' MALCOLM MCDONALD. 

